In a landmark move set to reshape the university admissions landscape, the University of Cambridge has announced a significant expansion of its post-qualification application scheme. The pioneering initiative will allow students to apply for certain courses after they have received their A-Level results, moving away from the traditional reliance on predicted grades.
The innovative scheme, which builds on a smaller 2022 pilot, is designed to widen participation and attract a more diverse range of talented students. It specifically targets those from backgrounds historically underrepresented at Cambridge, including pupils from areas with low progression to higher education, those eligible for free school meals, and students from care backgrounds.
How the New Cambridge Admissions Process Will Work
The process, managed through the UCAS hub, involves several key stages:
- Pre-Results Expression of Interest: Students will register their interest in specific Cambridge courses before results day.
- Post-Results Application: Those who meet the required grades will then be invited to submit a full application directly to the university.
- Assessment and Interview: Shortlisted candidates will undergo a structured interview and any required course-specific assessments.
- Rapid Decision Making: The entire process from results day to final decision is designed to be completed within a two-week window.
This streamlined approach aims to reduce the immense stress and uncertainty associated with the conventional admissions timeline.
Tackling Inequality in University Admissions
This radical shift directly addresses a longstanding criticism of the UK admissions system: the inherent inaccuracy of predicted grades. Research has consistently shown that predicted grades are unreliable, particularly for students from disadvantaged and state school backgrounds, who are more likely to have their grades under-predicted.
By using actual results, Cambridge hopes to create a fairer and more transparent system. This allows high-achieving students who may have been overlooked based on predictions to have a clear and accessible pathway to one of the world's top universities.
The pilot programme, which initially focused on a handful of subjects, has now been expanded to include nearly all courses offered by the university for the 2025 admissions cycle, signalling a firm commitment to this new model.
This bold step by Cambridge is likely to place significant pressure on other Russell Group universities to reconsider their own admissions practices, potentially heralding a new era of post-qualification applications across the UK's higher education sector.
